Lawrence "Larry" Westenberg

Lawrence "Larry" Westenberg, LCSW, brings 42 years of clinical practice grounded in a strengths and solutions model. He began his work on a back ward of a state mental hospital, supporting people with severe mental illness to access resources and build practical skills. Over the decades he pursued additional training in approaches including neuro-linguistic programming, Ericksonian hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing, and he is a published author in the fields of belief change and Ericksonian hypnosis.

Westenberg focuses on a broad range of concerns listed in his specialties, such as stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, addictions, ADHD, relationships, grief, and life transitions. He emphasizes helping people notice how past experiences can echo into present interactions and teaching concrete strategies to shift those patterns. His work aims to locate and use each person’s existing resources to move in the direction they choose.

He often adopts a candid, practical stance and may use gentle humor to help shift perspective while treating issues seriously. Westenberg does not accept insurance because he prefers to work outside a disease-centered billing framework. He practices in Illinois and structures sessions around individual goals and collaborative problem solving.